On Wednesday, September 22, 1915, at 8:15 am Central European Standard Time, 20 French Voisin Type V biplanes departed from their aerodromes, located in the municipal Territoire de Belfort, a Department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region in Eastern France. To aid in their mission, the aircraft were painted with deceptive German identification markings. Pilots were instructed to fly to Stuttgart; their furthest excursion over German territory as of that date in the war. The goal was to hit the Neues Schloss (New Palace) and the Royal Wurttemberg State Railways Hauptbahnhoff (Central Station, or Train Depot), under construction since 1914. The intent was to inflict psychological as well as physical damage to the city and its residents, as an expression of outrage over German aerial attacks on French, Belgian and English cities. More than 100 bombs were sent below, but the munitions were inadequately small. Answering the ruse, German battery positions sent a furious barrage skywards, resulting in fire and smoke. Pilots of Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (Imperial German Army Air Service) ascended to the sky with vengeance. The French airmen retreated for home. As a result, actual material wreckage to the New Palace, central station and adjacent buildings was minor. Four German civilians died; several civilians and soldiers were injured. As the day progressed, 1 hapless German pilot returning from a different assignment was mistaken as being French, flying a disguised plane. While attempting to land, he suddenly received friendly fire from overanxious, confused ground troops.
This was the first airstrike on Stuttgart during the Great War.
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